Reversible-cycle heating and cooling system



c. KERR, JR.,Y Er Al.

REVERSIBLE CYCLE HEATINGAND COOLl-G SYSTEM Fiied Maren 1, 19:53

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a W .d u w w d l`i C .f ou a a j f .5 l f INVENTORS. Char/es Ker/1]?.-

TTORNY Jan. 2, 1934.A y

WITN ESS ES Patented Jan. "2, l 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE REVERSIBLE-CYCLE HEATING AND COOLING SYSTEM Application March 1, 1933. Serial No. 659,197

7 Claims.

Our invention relates to heating and cooling systems utilizing the refrigeration cycle or the' reversed refrigeration cycle for either cooling or heating as may be required. Our invention has particular relation to such a system as adapted for use in connection with freight cars, manyof which are required to start out from a 'warm place, such as Florida, with perishable goods requiring refrigeration to keep them from spoiling, and to deliver the goods at a cold place, such as Maine, where heating may be required in order to prevent the goods from freezing. v

Our invention relates to a system which is particularly adapted to meet the above-outlined condition, together with suitable control equipment therefor, although'our invention, in its broader aspects is not limited to railway service.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, our invention consists in the systems, circuits and apparatus hereinafter described and claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, the single figure in which is a very diagrammatic view of the essential equipment illustrating one form of embodiment of ourinventiom We utilize a refrigerating unit which may be disposed underneath la freight car, or, in general, outside of the room to be heated or cooled. 'I'he refrigerating unit comprises, in its essentials, a compressor l which delivers a refrigerant fluid. vin vapor form, to a condenser 2, in whichthe fluid is cooled sulciently to condense it toa liquid, which is then'delivered, through a small* pipe 3, to an evaporator 4 in which the fluid is evaporated into vapor form, the vapor being returned, at low pressure, through a return-pipe 5, to the compressor 1, where the cycle is continuously repeated.

It will be observed, in the foregoing refrigerating cycle, that the condenser gives out heat to the ambient atmosphere, whereas the evaporator extracts heat from the ambient atmosphere, the refrigerating unit thus operating to transfer heat from one place to another at different temperatures. In accordance with our invention, we place the condenser 2 in one compartment or chamber, designated by the numeral V6, and theA evaporator 4 ln another compartment or chamber. designated by the numeral '1. said chambers being disposed in side-by-side relation, by which we mean that their intake ends are in substantially the same planes, and their outlet ends are in substantially the same planes. In other words, "side-by-side is meant to include both lateral juxtaposition and vertical juxtaposition.

We also provlde'a system of shutters 8 and 9,

or their equivalent, whereby the condenser chamber 6 may be opened, at both ends, either to the' outside air or to the air which is circulated through the refrigerator car, while, at the same time the evaporator chamber '7 is opened, at both ends, either to the bar circulation system or to the outside air. When the shutters 8 are open, as shown in the drawing, the condenser chamber 6 is in communication with the outside air and is shut off from the air which is circulated through v the car, while, at the same time, the evaporator chamber is in the path of the air which is circulated through the car. When the shutters 9 are open, the reverse process takes place, the inside air passing through the condenser and the outside air passing through the evaporator. be Vreadily understood that when the inside air passes over the evaporator, as shown, the car will be cooled, whereas, when the inside air passes over the condenser, the car will be heated.

In accordance with our invention, the foregoing results are accomplished very simply by placing the condenser and evaporator chambers 6 and It will 7 side by side so that their ends are in the same planes, respectively. We are thus enabled to utilize only one shutter rod 1,0 at each end of these chambers, and we can by this simple expedient operate all of the-shutters 8 and 9 by pushing the shutter rods longitudinally.` The adjustment of the positions of the shutter rods is effected by means of solenoids or other electrical devices 11 and 12, the solenoids 11 being utilized to pull the rods into the shutter-position shown in the drawing, whereas the solenoids 12 adjust the rods to 'the contrary shutter position.

vIt will be noted that the inner shutters 9 on th intake side of the condenser chamber are adjacent to the innershutters 8 on the intake side of the evaporator chamber, and these two groups of shutters are in communication with what may be termed a compressor chamber 13 which is in communication with a duct 14 through which air is extracted from the car which is to be heated or cooled in accordance with our invention.

' On the outlet sides of the 'condenser and evaporator chambers 6 and 7, the inner shutters 9 of the former arel likewise adjacent to the inner shutters 8 of the latter and these two groups of shutters are in communication with a duct 15 which returnsthe conditioned air 'to the car, said air having been cooled as it has passed through the evaporator because of the open position of the -shutters 8, as shown-.in the drawing, or having been heated by reason o! passing rthrough the condenser in the other position of The direct-current machine 1'7 is adapted to'be connected to a direct-current battery-circuit 18 which is connected across the terminals of a' storage battery 19 carried by .the car. The battery is keptcharged by any suitable means, the details o! which are not essential to our present invention. The alternating-current motor is adapted to be energizedfrom a detachable plug Iconnection or other coupler 20 which may beconnected to a wayside source of three-phase current, when 20 the car is standing at a station during loadingor unloading or awaiting loading or unloading. The relative speeds of the alternating-current motor 16v and the direct-current machine 17 are such that when the plug connection 20 is energized from an external alternating-current source, the alternating-current motor will drive the direct-current machine as a generator so that it can be charging the battery 19. v Y

It is possibleA to leave the.. compressorv motors running all ofA the time, either from thevdirectcurrent source or from the alternating-current source, regulating the temperature of the car by the opening and closing of the shutters and9. It

is usually desirable, however, for reasons of economy, to alternately start and stop the refrigerating cycle under the exigencias of the temperature-requirements within the car. we have shown, very schematically, a thermostat 21 which is disposed somewhere within the car. V'This'thermostatmay have two contacts, namely, a contact 22 which is madewhen the car is too hot and a contact 23 which is made when the car is too cold, both contacts being out of contact with the heat-responsive contact-member at a certain intermediate temperature.

When the contact 22 is energized, by reason of a too-high temperature in the car, theshutter solenoids 11 are energized, so as to move the shutters into the position shown in the drawing,

' s o that the shutters 8 will be open andthe shutters 9 .will be closed, thereby circulating'the air from the 'car through the evaporator 4 to cool said. air, while the condenser 2 is cooled by means of outside air passing through it. When the v other thermostatic contact 23- is energized, by

reason of the attainment of a too-low temperature in the car, the other shutter solenoids 12 are energized, thereby moving the shutters to the opposite position in which the shutters 8 are closed and the shutters 9 are opened,`thereby heating the4 air from the car by passing the same through the condenser 2, whilethe evaporator extracts heat from the outside air which is passed through it by reason of the opening of the shutters 9. At the same time that either' one of the -thermostat lcontacts-.22 or 23 is energized, a circuit will be completed through the actuating coil of an electromagnetic contactor 24 which is thus made to close a plurality or contacts which complete the connection of the direct-current motor 17 to the direct-current line 18 of the storage battery 19 and to connect the alternating-current .motor 16 to the plug 20 ready for operation in case a wayside source of polyphase current is way that the correct shutter; position is assured To this end,-

utilized'while thecar is-standing still. The two thermostatrcontacts '22 and 23 thus constitute parallel-vpartial-energizing circuits with respect vto the motor-controlling contactor 24, which may be actuated througheither one of these thermostat contacts, without any discrimination as to which contact is made, whereas lthe shuttercontrol means is operated discriminatively in such according as the thermostat contact 22 or 23 is energized. 4

At an intermediate position of the thermostat, neither of the-thermostat contacts 22 or 23 willl be energized, in which event the actuating coil` of the contactor 24 isalso deenergized, thereby stopping the motors v1'6 and 17. It will be under-4 stood that any suitable starting circuits or other control circuits may be utilized for the motors 16 vand 17, such systems being well-known and forming no essential part of the novel features embraced in our present invention. A

Any'suitable me'ans may be utilized for maintaining the air-circulation which has been above described and which is indicatedv on the drawing by the single-ended arrows. A convenient method for maintaining this air-circulation is indicated every diagrammatically in the drawing, asy consisting of two fans or blowers 30 whichare driven from the shaft ofthe compressor motors 16 and-17, one fan or blower being disposed in,105 the condenser chamber 6 and the other being disposed in the evaporator chamber 7.

In normal service, the compressor will usually` be intermittently started) and stopped as the thermostat alternately makes and breaks contacts with one of its terminals 22 -or 23. Thus, when the train is travelling in a warm climate, the thermostat will make and break contact with its terminal 22; and will never make contact with its terminal 23. When the train reaches a moderate climate, the thermostat will remain disconnected from both contacts. If the train reaches a very cold climate, the thermostat will make contact intermittently with its cold terminal 23,' thereby starting and stopping the compressor again, by operatingthe circulating system with the shutters in a position opposite to that which is illustrated, so that the car is heated during the intermittent periods when the compressor is op-` erating.

While we havedescribed our invention with particularreference to a refrigerator car, in order to have' something concrete in mind while explaining the invention, it will be obvious that our invention is not limited to this particular application which we desire to be understood as purely illustrative. We desire, therefore, that the appended claims shall be accorded the broadest construction consistent with their language andthe prior art.

We claim as our invention:

1. A reversible-cycle refrigerating and heating system comprising the combination, with -a room to be cooled or heated, of a refrigerating unit iso comprising a condenseria'nd an evaporator dis-r 1.40,

posed in side-by-side relation, means for providing separate chambers for said condenser and said evaporator, two sets of closure means in each end of each oi said chambers, the two outer sets of closure means of the condenser chamber and the twb inner sets of closure means of the evaporator chamber being open for refrigeration and closed for heating, andv the remaining sets of closure" means being closed for refrigeration and open for heating, means forstmultaneously shifting all sets of closure means according as heating 'or refrigeration is desired, an air duct from the room leading to the two inner sets of clos'ure means at one end ofthe condenser and evaporator chambers, an air duct leading to the room from the two inner sets of closure means at the other end of the condenser and evaporator chambers, the remaining sets of closure means being exposed to the outside air, and means for maintaining drafts of air flowing from end to end through both the condenser chamber and the evaporator chamber.

2. A reversible-cycle refrigerating and heating system comprising the combination, with a room to be cooled or heated, of a refrigerating unit comprising a compressor, a motor driving means therefor, a condenser and an evaporator, the condenser and the evaporator being disposed in sideby-side relation, means for providing separate chambers for said condenser and said evaporator, two sets of closure means in each end of each of said chambers, the two O uter sets of closure means of the condenser chamber and the two inner sets of closure means of the evaporator chamber being open for refrigeration and closed for heating, and the remaining s'ets of closure means being closed for refrigeration and open for heating, means for simultaneously shifting all sets of closure means according 'as heating or refrigeration is desired, an air duct from the room leading to the two inner sets of closure means at one end of the condenser and evaporator chambers, an air duct leading to the room from the two inner sets of closure means at the other end of the condenser and evaporator chambers, the remaining. sets of closure means being exposed to the outside air, means for maintaining drafts of air blowing from end to end through both the condenser chamber and the evaporator chamber, and means for providing a-third chamber disposed in the path ofthe air to and from the room, the compressor and its motor driving means being disposed in said third chamber whereby they are cooled by one of said drafts through thecondenser and evaporator chambers. v i

3. A reversible-cycle refrigerating and heating system comprising the combination, with a room to be cooled or heated, of a .refrigerating unit comprising a condenser and an evaporator disposed in side-by-side relation, means for providing separate chambers for said condenser and said evaporator, two sets of closure means in each end of each of said chambers, the two outer sets to the two inner sets of closure means at one. end of the condenser and evaporator chambers,

an air duct leading to the room from the two inner sets of closure means' at the otherend of the condenser and evaporator chambers, the remaining sets of closure means being exposed to the outside air, and a blower means in each of said chambers for maintaining drafts of air blowing from end to end through both the condenser chamber and the evaporator chamber.

4. A reversible-cycle refrigerating and heating system comprising the combination, with a room to be cooled or heated, and 'a thermostat in the room for responding to conditions' there,- in, of a refrigerating unit comprising a condenser and an evaporator disposed in side-by-side relation, means for providing separate chambers for said condenser and said evaporator, two sets of closure means in each end of each of said chambers, the two outer -sets of closure' means of the closure means of the evaporatorchamber being open for refigeration and closed forheating, and the remaining sets of closure means being closed for refrigeration and open for heating; thermostatically responsive means for shifting all sets of closure means and for ensuring that the closure means are in opposite settings under predetermined maximum and minimum temperature conditions in theroom, an air duct from the roomv leading to the two inner sets of closure means at one end of the condenser and evaporator chambers, an air duct leading to the room from l the two inner sets of closure means at the other end of the condenser and evaporator chambers.

VAan evaporator, the condenser and the evaporatorI -being disposed in side-b5 -side relation, means for providing vseparate chambers for said condenser and said evaporator, two sets of closure means in each end of each of said chambers, the

two outer sets of closure means of the condenserl chamber and the two inner sets of closure means of the evaporator chamber being open for refrigeration and closed for heating, and the remaining sets of closure means being closed for refrigeration and open for heating, an air duct from the room leading to the two inner sets of closure means at one end of the condenser and evaporator chambers, an air duct leading to the room from the two inner sets of closure means at the lother end of the condenser and evaporator chambers, the remaining sets of closure means 'condenserl chamber and the two inner sets of' being exposed to the outside air, thermostatically responsive means for shifting all sets of closure means and for ensuring that the closure means are in opposite settings under predeter.

mined maximum and minimum temperature conditions in the room and for energizing the compressor motormeans at either one of said maximum temperatures and deenergizing said compressor motor means at intermediate temperatures, and means for maintaining drafts of air blowing from end to end through both the condenser chamber and the evaporator chamber at least during the periods of operation of the compressor.

6. A reversible-cycle refrigerating and heating system comprising the combination, with a room to be cooled lor heated, and a thermostat in the room for responding yto conditions therein, of a refrigerating unit for transferring heat from one place to another at different temperatures. electro-responsive means for changing the direction of utilization of said heat-transfer whereby it is made effective ior either heating or cooling said room, electro-responsive means for starting up and shutting down the refrigerating unit, two

I parallel partial-energizing circuits either one of' which will complete an energizing circuit for said A f starting-up and shutting-down means, means-for energizing' said two parallel partial-energizing circuits in response to'predet'ermined maximum and vminimum temperatureindications of said thermostat and for deenergizing said two parallel partial-energizing circuits at intermediatel temperatures, and electro-responsive means for ensuring that said reverse-cycle means is in one condition as to direction of heat-transfer when one'of lsaid partial-energizing circuits is ener# gized and in the other condition when the other `of s aid partial-energizing circuits is energized.

7.5 A reversible-cycle refrigerating and heatngsystem comprising vthe combination, with a room to be cooled or heated, of a refrigerating unit comprising a condenser4 and an evaporator disposed in side-by-side relation, means for providing'separatechambers for said condenser and said evaporator, two sets of closure means in each end of each'of said chambers, one set of closure means ateach end of the condenser chamber and one set ot closure means at each end o! the evaporator chamber being normally open for refrigeration and closed for heating, and the remaining sets of closure means being normally closed for refrigeration and open for heating, means for simultaneously shiftingall sets of closure means according as heating or refrigeration is desired,

partition means for providing two kinds of circulating air leading to and from said condenser and evaporator chamber, one kind of air being confined to the normally open sets of closure means in `the two ends of one chamber and to the normally closed sets of closure means in the two I ends of the other chamber, and the other kind of air being confined to the remaining sets of 

